7 Habits You Need to Stay Healthy and Balanced While Working From Home

I am finding that there are some hidden benefits to this nasty Coronavirus after all. Most of us at one time or another has begged and pleaded to have the opportunity to work remotely! Well we have been granted our wish it seems with this global shutdown.

So look on the bright side! We not only get to save commute time and invest that time back into our personal wellbeing and into our relationships, but, we also get to contribute positively to seven of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with our remote working footprint! It may not be easy for some of us who thrive on routine, separation of home and work and also on the energy we get from social interaction. So here are my 7 habits that can help you stay healthy and balanced while working from home in these coming few weeks…let’s hope not months.

I have been a self-employed remote worker for more than a decade yet my video coaching sessions with clients across the globe feeds my social soul and keeps me from feeling isolated or lonely. The reason I have been able to build a successful sustainability coaching business by sitting in my quiet garden office is that I follow these 7 habits:

1 Stay Focused

So it is easy to think that now you are at home you can get the things done that go to the bottom of the to-do list. However, don’t forget to keep to your same schedule as you would in a work day. Use those commute hours to get those extra personal tasks done, rather than letting them distract you throughout the paid work day. Jacob Dillon writes a great article about the ways to train your brain to stay focused. Staying focused can be especially challenging to some of us with a tendency towards attention deficit so be kind to yourself and buy a fidgit spinner if that kind of trick might help.

What I do:

I am able to focus really deeply when I have set aside time for one task. However, most of my week is full of meetings and interruptions so I have to claim my focused time. I set aside Fridays as my “untouchable” day so that I can plan, reflect, do finances, special projects, etc. I also get up before everyone else in the house (although I am not a morning person!) to squeeze in my green tea and meditation solo time during the silence of the dawn.

2 Socialize

One challenge of working from home is that you can become a bit “isolated”. It greatly reduces our human interaction so try to find a few ways each day to get out of the house, well unless you are in fact self-isolating, and make sure you are scheduling in enough Zoom video calls to see and connect with other human beings. We need connection with others to be happy and feel a sense of purpose – we as humans get energy from others, even if we are introverts.

What I do:

I make sure to have at least four video conference calls a day either with coachees or with potential partners. I also force myself to get to the gym three times during the workweek which allows some social interaction while keeping me healthy.

3 Schedule

So you are losing a bit of your routine and the separation of home and work. The best way to take on this new environment head-on is to schedule your day. Most time management courses will tell you to maximise the times of day when you are at your energy peak. This is even more important as you won’t have as many meetings pulling you in or bosses leaning over your shoulder. You will be setting your own schedule more now so it is important that you take the time out of each day to organize the next day. Being organized is a key skill for remote working.

What I do:

I have a multi-colored calendar that allows me to allocate time in the day to various types of personal tasks as well as work tasks. But I stick to the allocated slots and don’t let myself wander into the kitchen and start doing laundry at 2pm. Who would want to do laundry anyways!?!?!

4 Separate

Some of us don’t have the luxury of having a separate room to hide away in during these home working weeks. However, if you can literally find even a closet to turn into a mini office you will be better off than at the kitchen table. You need to find a space where you can lock a door or not see home tasks that may distract you. Let your pet come with you to keep you company but set clear boundaries if you have a partner, roommate or kids. They need to know when you are “home” and when you are at “work”.

What I do:

I used to have my desk in my bedroom but I put up a screen to separate the small space and give me a sense of transition from bed to work. I did this for two years before building a garden office.

5 Reduce Inputs

It is easy to think that turning on the radio or having the news on the tv while working is a good way to multi-task. You may think that popping onto social media every 30 minutes keeps you up to date with what is happening with the supply of toilet paper at the store. But reducing inputs of noise and news is actually going to serve you better.

What I do:

I limit myself to listen to 20 minutes of news radio in the morning (as I hit the snooze twice!) and check only LinkedIn for relevant feeds at midday. This frees my brain to stay focused and disciplined about my schedule as well as about the content of my work rather than being distracted by unrelated content.

6 Take Mindful Resets

We have all heard that we “should” (or, I prefer “could”) be doing more mindfulness practice throughout our day. Well the one that works for me best is the short 3 minute breathing reset. It takes just a few minutes after a restroom break to reset. This helps you to focus on your breath and get more oxygen to your brain. It also helps to slow down your heart rate and re-center.

What I do:

I do a mini reset every time I use the ladies room. I do an internal visual body scan and take 6 deep breaths in and out slowly. It really only takes me 1-2 minutes. This is just enough oxygen to get me through the next round of my day.

7 Mind Your Body

Your eyes will get more tired focused on a screen for much of the day, your legs will cramp up and lose circulation if you are sitting for too long, your energy will drop if you aren’t eating balanced foods. So make the plan to prioritise your body so that your mind can follow. Schedule in hourly water breaks and stretch breaks to keep hydrated and keep circulation up. Watch your ergonomic set up too especially if you are having to sit on a bed or on a sofa. If you have a poor body position for long periods of time over a week or two this can cause workplace injury.

What I do:

I fill up four litre bottles of SodaStream sparkling water at the beginning of the day and keep them next to my desk. I also prepare only healthy snacks in the morning so they are at the ready such as cucumber with hummus or apples with peanut butter or a small cup of almonds. Setting a timer to beep on the hour is a way that I get reminded to get up and move. There are apps that help with this and mindful reset reminders - Apple’s Pause: Mindful moments app claims to help you regain focus and release stress just by moving your finger across the screen.

So I hope that my 7 habits help to give you some new ideas about how to turn this gift of working from home into a balanced and healthy reality. Please send me your comments and ideas so we can share them across our community. If you would like to work with me on creating the impact career you always dreamed of please reach out by email to [email protected].

This article was originally published on Thrive Global.